INTERVIEW: Infinity Ward

Do you think the DLC will give players who don’t own MW2 an extra incentive to buy the full game?

Definitely, as the Stimulus Package adds even more depth to an already expansive multiplayer experience and increases the longevity of the online community even further. If players are looking for a game they can stick with for years, and get hundreds of hours of playtime on for their investment thanks to the ever expanding Multiplayer component of the game, then this map pack only solidifies Modern Warfare 2 as the experience for them.

MW2 has been buoyant in the sales charts since it was released in November. Do you think your DLC plan can help keep it there?

We are very excited about the content of the Stimulus Package and our gamers are going to be blown away by the quality of the new maps. The arrival of the Stimulus Package allows us to drive a fresh message around Modern Warfare 2 as a gaming property and we are supporting its release with a £1m media campaign starting on 26th March and running throughout Easter.

The campaign celebrates the immense popularity of Modern Warfare 2 worldwide (25million unique users and growing) with a very creative and distinctive TV ad. Digital media is also being activated to help amplify the campaign message. A £1m media buy is more than the launch budget for many new titles, so this makes it pretty clear how significant we believe the opportunity to be.

How else will the stimulus package drive/affect sales of the game at retail?

Modern Warfare 2 is one of the most played games on-line. Gamers love the Spec Ops gameplay mode, and everyone knows that the Multiplayer is class leading and incredibly addictive. Recognise the fact that on X360 alone in the UK, our Modern Warfare 2 sales are 1.7million units and you start to get a sense of how big an opportunity the Stimulus Package will present.

Our retail partners are playing a crucial role in driving the Stimulus Package /DLC message out to consumers through their in-store activation, and retailers are fully on board to ensure they secure their share of the commercial opportunity that is being created. The key behind all of this as usual, is having great content.

Do you think 1200 MS points is good value for money for five maps? What would you say to those who think 1200MS points isn’t good value for money?

There is no denying the mileage online players of Modern Warfare 2 will get out of the five new locations included in the Stimulus Package. They significantly increase the longevity of the multiplayer for our online community and continue to give you more new locations to explore, learn, and develop tactics for. So if you’re a hardcore Modern Warfare 2 player downloading the Stimulus Package, the investment will undoubtedly be worth it.

Tell us about the new maps – what do they have in store for players?

The Stimulus Package includes five all-new locations for the Modern Warfare series as well as two extremely popular classics from the original Modern Warfare. Included in these are, Bailout; a vast American apartment complex with large outdoor courtyard, pool areas, and parking lots that provide great long range fighting, but also counters it with an expansive interior aspect thanks to the surrounding apartment’s units, lobbies, gym and community facilities that you can shoot your way through.

How much of a challenge has moderating and updating such a popular game been? (for example, the recent ‘super speed’ glitch)?

We’re fortunate enough to have a massive and dedicated community behind Modern Warfare 2, with over 25 million unique players online, and hundreds of thousands playing at any given time; there are a lot of player data to keep track of. Luckily though, we’re deeply connected to our community and have kept an open dialogue with them since we first started development on the game. This type of accessibility has really allowed us to keep track on issues that arise nearly instantly and get a fix in the works just as fast. What other DLC do you have planned for MW2?

Once the Stimulus Package is released, we do have plans to do at least one more DLC package, however the content and direction we’ll go with it hasn’t yet been determined. So at this point, we’re just focused on getting The Stimulus Package out to our community and hearing what they think and seeing the tactics they come up with on the new maps.

Will you focus on any single-player DLC in the future?

At the moment we’re only focusing on supporting our multiplayer community, as they’re definitely the largest percentage of our user base and have dedicated hundreds of hours on it. So we really want to support that dedication by providing them with new content to continue to enjoy.

When will PS3 and PC owners get the Stimulus package?

We don’t have a set date on when the Stimulus Package will release for other platforms, once we do though, we’ll be sure to let our community know.

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